The present invention relates generally to inductive charging systems, and more particularly to a self-aligning inductive charging system for automatically mating a charge port to a charge probe without operator interaction.
Heretofore, magna-charging concepts have been employed to charge the propulsion batteries of electric vehicles. In the magna-charging concept, a charge probe that is electrically coupled to a power source is inserted into a secondary charge port by a driver of the electric vehicle. The charge probe carries many amperes of current and this device must be properly inserted into the charge port to insure proper charging. To minimize concerns about user safety when handling the charge probe it is desirable to have a charging mechanism that does not require a user to physically hold the charge probe. The present invention addresses this concern.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a self-aligning inductive charging system for automatically mating a charge port to a charge probe without operator interaction.